‘TUF 16’ Recap: Episode 7

Last week’s shenanigans are recapped to kick off the seventh
episode of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 16. In summary, Michael
Hill and Matt Secor
traded verbal barbs over some raw chicken, and Colton
Smith outpointed Eddy Ellis in
a controversial majority decision.

Coach Roy
Nelson congratulates Smith on his victory and then quickly
transitions into choosing which of his men will fight next. In the
past, “Big Country” has been criticized for instructing his
fighters to draw straws to decide who will fight in a given week.
This time, he comes hard with a more scientific approach: pick a
number between one and 20.

Dominic
Waters chooses the best number, but instead of selecting an
opponent, he elects to pass the buck to Hill. Considering Hill’s
history with Secor, it is not difficult to deduce the pairing that
will soon be announced.

“I am fighting Michael Hill, the Backstreet Boy of the house,” says
Secor after the fight announcement. “I like this fight. This is the
one I’ve obviously been preparing for.”

Nelson brings in original “Ultimate Fighter” winner Forrest
Griffin to aid in his squad’s training session, and Hill later
works the heavy bag by his lonesome. In a confessional, Hill
explains his regret over squandering previous opportunities as both
a student and an athlete but vows to make the most of his career as
a mixed martial artist.

Over on Shane
Carwin’s side, Secor is hitting the mitts and giving us a
little insight into his background as a military man. The
welterweight explains that his brother was killed in combat in
Iraq.

“He died for his country, and there is nothing prouder than that,”
says Secor. “He died [so that] all of us can do what we’re doing
right now.”

Secor also reveals to his teammates that his father died last year.
He explains that he would give up his opportunity on the show if he
could only see his dad one last time.

Hill and Secor make their final fight preparations, and Hill
decides to use a bunch of poorly conceived animal metaphors to
describe his relationship with his opponent. Secor goes the simpler
route and just calls Hill “a little douchebaggy.”

Both men are now in the cage, and referee Josh Rosenthal starts the
action. After a solid minute of gauging distance, Secor lands an
overhand right. Another minute goes by, and Hill catches a kick and
scores a takedown. Secor immediately looks for a triangle, but Hill
defends well. Secor pesters Hill with short shots off his back and
then tries a butterfly sweep, but the Team Nelson rep bases out.
Rosenthal stands them up with just 10 seconds remaining in the
frame, but nothing comes of it.

Round two begins, and Secor dives on a single-leg takedown 30
seconds into the frame. Hill sprawls and briefly lands in side
control before Secor recovers his base and tries for another
single. Secor transitions to a double-leg and locks his hands,
dumping Hill on his posterior. Hill turns to stand, but Secor
counters by taking his back and fishing for a rear-naked choke.
Carwin’s fighter locks in a full body triangle but cannot find the
finish as the round expires.

Rosenthal informs the fighters that they will compete in a third,
sudden-victory round, and they touch gloves to begin round three.
Hill wings a couple of punches that miss by a wide margin, and
Secor shoots a single-leg that is promptly stuffed. Landing in top
position, Hill goes to work with short hammerfists before nearly
finding himself caught in a triangle. He pulls out of the hold, and
Secor then times a double-leg as Hill rushes in to strike, landing
in half-guard.

Hill turns away from Secor’s strikes, and Carwin’s fighter once
again takes the back and cinches another body triangle. With 90
seconds left in the fight, Hill attempts to escape the position by
rolling, but Secor rides him for the remainder of the frame.

Shockingly, UFC President Dana White announces that Hill has won a
split decision, meaning that two of the three cageside judges
scored the third round for Nelson’s fighter, despite having Secor
on his back for much of the round.

White is livid at the result, calling the verdict “crazy.” Just
about everybody agrees with him, although Hill says he believes he
did enough to win the fight. Secor disagrees, but he is nonetheless
respectful toward Hill and the rest of Team Nelson after the
fight.

Next week, White tells the fighters to turn up their intensity in
the cage, and Carwin and Nelson will apparently square off in a
“track-and-field” coaches’ challenge. Let us pray that someone
makes them run the 100-meter dash.